Present tense

As is common in Gaelic, there is no present tense form of the verb. When a simple present meaning ("I catch something") or a progressive meaning (I am catching something is intended, the periphrastic construction is used with the present tense of the verb bi (be), i.e., tha, along with the verbal noun.

Tha

mi

a'

breith ...

be.pres

1s

prog

catch.vn

I'm catching/I catching ...

Future tense

The future tense in Gaelic is used to express the idea that an event will happen sometime after the speech time. Unlike English, the future tense can also be used with a present tense meaning, to express the idea that an action is habitual.

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

Relative Future1

1

beiridh mi

am beir mi

cha bheir mi

nach beir mi

a bheireas mi

2

beiridh tu2

am bheir thu

cha bheir thu

nach beir thu

a bheireas tu2

3 masc

beiridh e

am beir e

cha bheir e

nach beir e

a bheireas e

3 fem

beiridh i

am beir i

cha bheir i

nach beir i

a bheireas i

1 pl

beiridh sinn

am beir sinn

cha bheir sinn

nach beir sinn

a bheireas sinn

2 pl

beiridh sibh

am beir sibh

cha bheir sibh

nach beir sibh

a bheireas sibh

3 pl

beiridh iad

am beir iad

cha bheir iad

nach beir iad

a bheireas iad

Note:

the relative future is used after certain particles such as ma or the particle used with questions a.

Note that in the relative future the pronoun tu is used in lieu of thu.

Impersonal/Passive Voice

Gaelic verbs don't technically have a Passive verb form. Instead the passive is typically represented through a periphrastic construction using the verbs Rach or Tha + the passive marker air. It does, however, have an impersonal form. The Impersonal is used to indicate an indeterminate subject. Rugadh can be best translated as "someone caught". Use of a pronoun is completely optional. So "rugadh" is a completely well-formed sentence. When used with a pronoun, the pronoun represents the logical object of the verb. So "rugadh mi" means "I was born" or "someone birthed me"

Since Gaelic doesn't distinguish between subject and object pronouns (unlike it's sibling Modern Irish), it is very difficult to determine if these pronouns are subjects or objects. We list them here as if they were subjects, with the understanding that the pronouns in the following tables represent the logical objects of the verb (the person who was caught or born, not the catcher or the parent).

Past tense

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

1

rugadh mi

an do rugadh mi

cha do rugadh mi

nach do rugadh mi

2

rugadh tu1

an do rugadh tu

cha do rugadh tu

nach do rugadh tu

3 masc

rugadh e

an do rugadh e

cha do rugadh e

nach do rugadh e

3 fem

rugadh i

an do rugadh i

cha do rugadh i

nach do rugadh i

1 pl

rugadh sinn

an do rugadh sinn

cha do rugadh sinn

nach do rugadh sinn

2 pl

rugadh sibh

an do rugadh sibh

cha do rugadh sibh

nach do rugadh sibh

3 pl

rugadh iad

an do rugadh iad

cha do rugadh iad

nach do rugadh iad

Notes:

The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu

Present tense

The use of a passive in the present tense is odd, even in English, so we'll skip it here.

Future tense

Recall that the pronouns here are the notional objects, so "beirear mi" means "I was born"

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

Relative Future1

1

beirear mi

am beirear mi

cha bheirear mi

nach beirear mi

a bheirear mi

2

beirear thu

am beirear thu

cha bheirear thu

nach beirear thu

a bheirear thu

3 masc

beirear e

am beirear e

cha bheirear e

nach beirear e

a bheirear e

3 fem

beirear i

am beirear i

cha bheirear i

nach beirear i

a bheirear i

1 pl

beirear sinn

am beirear sinn

cha bheirear sinn

nach beirear sinn

a bheirear sinn

2

beirear sibh

am beirear sibh

cha bheirear sibh

nach beirear sibh

a bheirear sibh

3 pl

beirear iad

am beirear iad

cha bheirear iad

nach beirear iad

a bheirear iad

Notes

the relative future is used after certain particles such as a the particle used with questions, or ma "if".

Conditional Mood

Active

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

1

bheirinn1

am beirinn

cha bheirinn

nach beirinn

2

bheireadh tu2

am beireadh tu

cha bheireadh tu

nach beireadh tu

3 masc

bheireadh e

am beireadh e

cha bheireadh e

nach beireadh e

3 fem

bheireadh i

am beireadh i

cha bheireadh i

nach beireadh i

1 pl

bheireadh sinn (bheareamaid3)

am beireadh sinn (am beireamaid3)

cha bheireadh sinn (cha bheireamaid3)

nach beirinn sinn (nach beireamaid3)

2 pl

bheireadh sibh

am beireadh sibh

cha bheireadh sibh

nach beireadh sibh

3 pl

bheireadh iad

am beireadh iad

cha bheireadh iad

nach beireadh iad

Notes:

The 1st person singular form is never used with an overt pronoun, the verb contains the pronoun already.

The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu

The 1st person plural has a special inflected form, which like the first person singular is never used with a pronoun. This 1st person plural form is rarely used anymore.

passive

Recall that the pronouns here are notional objects so bheirte mi means "I would be born".

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

1

bheirte mi

am beirte mi

cha bheirte mi

nach beirte mi

2

bheirte thu

am beirte thu

cha bheirte thu

nach beirte thu

3 masc

bheirte e

am beirte e

cha bheirte e

nach beirte e

3 fem

bheirte i

am beirte i

cha bheirte i

nach beirte i

1 pl

bheirte sinn

am beirte sinn

cha bheirte sinn

nach beirte sinn

2 pl

bheirte sibh

am beirte sibh

cha bheirte sibh

nach beirte sibh

3 pl

bheirte iad

am beirte iad

cha bheirte iad

nach beirte iad

Imperative Mood

The Imperative mood is used when giving a command. 2nd person imperatives are the most common. In English these are translated with by just the verb "Catch!".